What about those angels?!

Angels don’t show up a lot in the Bible, but every time they are recorded arriving they have to tell the person they are visiting to not be afraid. I made that into a game when my kids were young and I read aloud from the Bible to them a lot. Every time an angel showed up in the story and I read, “And the angel said -“, I would pause and the kids would yell out, “Do not be afraid!” I know we were reading from an English translation, but that is usually exactly what the angel says!

This makes me think that various representations I have seen of the MULTITUDE of angels that showed up to the shepherds have been quite inadequate. This was no starched choir. And they left no doubt about their message. The shepherds went straight to Bethlehem and in a hurry!

It also really makes me wonder why there was not a huge crowd at the temple when they took baby Jesus there about a month later (according to Leviticus 12:6-8). At least there is no mention of it in the narrative. After all, the shepherds made everything widely known!

The very short story of Jesus as a 12 year old boy really makes me want to know more about his childhood. We can only guess. Being his parents had to be the oddest mixture of hard and easy. Hard knowing how unique he was and feeling a huge responsibility for keeping an eye on God’s son. Easy in that he was a perfect child. I started a new Bible News Press series for Luke and I covered the temple incident in Lost 12 Year old Boy Returned to Parents After 3 Days Absence.

The 12 year old boy who went missing 3 days ago in Jerusalem has been reunited with his parents. The parents, who say they attend the Feast of the Passover every year, say this has never happened before. The boy has always been very reliable and respectful.

He was found in the temple by his parents apparently discussing theology and Mosaic law with many of the temple teachers. The temple teachers who were questioned said the boy was not only asking questions, but often giving answers that amazed them and showed an incredible depth of understanding. He referred to the temple as “his father’s house,” which they had no explanation for.

Those who witnessed the search and reunion said one reason it was so hard to find the boy was that he did not have an particularly striking features. He also did not do anything to draw attention to himself, but was simply engaged in asking questions. However, his answers led to the temple teachers all gathering around.

When his parents urged the boy to return to Nazareth with them, he went without any struggle. The mother was overheard muttering “it is nerve-wracking keeping track of God’s son” and “this was so unexpected, we rarely have to correct him about anything.”

Nearly a year after completely losing his voice, an elderly priest startled attendees when he began to speak during his son’s circumcision ceremony. When eyewitnesses were asked about it, they said there could be no mistake that the previously mute man had spoken, since he had clearly and loudly made claims about his newborn son. The speech is estimated to have gone on for two full minutes.

The priest, Zacharias, is of the Abijah priestly division. He states that he was able to speak until the angel Gabriel appeared to him while he was performing his priest’s duties about a year ago. He was quick to say that the angel did not harm him nor threaten him.

The angel Gabriel is said to be the same angel who appeared to Daniel about 600 years ago. Zacharias says he was not expecting the visit and was surprised to be told that he and his elderly, and up until then childless, wife would have a son. Apparently it was his response, “How will I know this for certain?” that resulted in his loss of speech.

Many people in the hill country of Judea are expressing concern over the event. There has been a grass roots effort to make sure everyone in the area is informed. While some offer predictions about what the child will turn out to be, the parents have gone back to their routine and have not made any further claims since Zacharias’s original statement that the child would be called the prophet of the Most High.

Who washed the dishes?

The phrase “a leap of faith” is an attempt to explain how some people can see the same evidence and come to different conclusions. Applied to something like “who washed the dishes when I wasn’t looking?”, it sounds like this:

who is tall enough to reach the sink?

who is known to be reliable about helping out?

who does things a certain way, leaving tell tale signs such as how the dishes are stacked?

who was known to be home during that time?

who said he was going to wash the dishes?

who says he washed the dishes?

did anyone see who washed the dishes?

Somewhere along the line, a person decides there is enough information and whether or not he trusts the sources. Then, he makes an informed decision about who washed the dishes.

Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves!

But what if another person sees much of the same evidence, and doesn’t really care to think much about who washed the dishes, so he just guesses something that sounds interesting. Or maybe another person says that the dishes must have washed themselves, thereby discounting any evidence to the contrary? Have they all taken an equal “leap of faith” to their own conclusions? Are all the conclusions equally well based.

What is faith, anyway?

A lot of people equate faith with superstition or blind belief, but the word faith implies having a reason to believe. People can certainly be mistaken. They can say they have faith in something without checking it out. But the word faith itself does not imply an empty headedness or superstition.

Trying to discount the evidence

To say that a leap of faith is needed to believe in the God-Creator-Savior is an attempt to discount the wide variety of sound evidence in creation, within ourselves, and in historical records. Some people come to mistaken conclusions because other people DO make up a bunch of religious nonsense and then try to act like all beliefs are equally valid. Other times it is an honest mistake because people have been mislead by twisted philosophies of life. Sometimes people just resist God like a 2 year old resists bedtime.

When will it be enough evidence?

In human relationships, there is often a desire for regular affirmation, even though there is a long history of active caring. In the moment of loneliness or stress, sometimes people forget all the previous evidence, all that the other person has done out of love. The person who has worked so hard to show all the love could rightly ask, “when will there be enough evidence that I love you?”

Fortunately, God is very patient. In spite of the general arrogance of mankind, he keeps giving us evidence as daily as the sun rises, as deep as the mystery of music. This is the opening message of Luke’s Gospel. Things have been accomplished and seen by many. They are being shared so that you can know the exact truth.

Resources for Thinking About True Christianity

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